Stepping-free electric dehydration barrel

ABSTRACT

A stepping-free electric dehydration barrel includes a barrel unit, a dehydration unit, a motor, a control unit, a rechargeable battery and a recharging connection port. The dehydration unit includes a dehydration basket and a spindle which supports the dehydration basket. The spindle is installed on an elastic lifting unit below which is a starting switch being electrically connected to the control unit. After a user has put a mop into the dehydration basket, he or she only needs to exert a little force to descend the dehydration basket to turn on the starting switch, and then the control unit can drive the motor spinning in a predefined time, thereby achieving an object of easily and rapidly dehydrating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a dehydration device, and moreparticularly to a stepping-free electric dehydration barrel which can beoperated without using a foot-stepping method.

b) Description of the Prior Art

An existing dehydration barrel, a dehydration basket of which is drivenby a motor, still requires a user to step on a switch paddle to activatethe dehydration basket for spinning, wherein as the user needs to stepby one foot when using the dehydration barrel, a configuration ofstanding by one foot will be formed such that the dehydration barrelwill be rather inconvenient in usage. In addition, the provision of thepaddle will easily arouse curiosity of children to play with.

Accordingly, studies have been undergone by the present inventor for thedehydration barrel with the motor, thereby creating a stepping-freeelectric dehydration barrel which is completely different from theordinary dehydration barrel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide astepping-free electric dehydration barrel which includes at least abarrel unit, a dehydration unit provided in the barrel unit to dehydratea mop, a motor to drive the dehydration unit spinning, a control unit toactivate and deactivate the motor, a rechargeable battery to supplyelectricity to the control unit and a recharging connection port beingelectrically connected to the control unit, wherein the dehydration unitincludes a dehydration basket and a spindle to support the dehydrationbasket, with the spindle being installed on an elastic lifting unit andan interior of the barrel unit being provided with a starting switchwhich is located at a periphery of the elastic lifting unit and iselectrically connected to the control unit to activate the motor tooperate when the elastic lifting unit is descended.

A user only needs to put a mop into the dehydration basket and thenexert a downward force to the dehydration basket through the mop thatthe elastic lifting unit can be descended to turn on the startingswitch, so as to drive the dehydration basket spinning in a high speedto fling off water, thereby achieving an object of easily and rapidlydehydrating.

To prevent the dehydration basket from being touched accidentally by amistake to spin in a high speed, the present invention is furtherprovided with a safety switch which is electrically connected with thecontrol unit, such that under a condition that the safety switch is notactivated, even when the elastic lifting unit is descended to triggerthe starting switch, the control unit will still not activate the motor,thereby preventing the dehydration basket from being touched by amistake to spin in a high speed.

In comparison with the prior art, the present invention is at leastprovided with following advantages that:

-   -   1. A condition of forcing the user to stand by one foot can be        avoided;    -   2. The provision of the safety switch can prevent the        dehydration basket from being touched by a mistake to spin in a        high speed; and    -   3. A lead wire assembly having a connector can facilitate        replacing the rechargeable battery.

To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and thetechnological methods of the invention herein, the brief description ofthe drawings below is followed by the detailed description of thepreferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a local cutaway view of a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view prior to activation of the firstembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the activation of the first embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of electric connection of structures of asecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of the second embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional view of a third embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 shows a local cutaway view of a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 shows a local cutaway view of a fifth embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 shows a local cutaway view of a sixth embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it shows a local cutaway view and a topview of a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in thedrawings, a stepping-free electric dehydration barrel comprisesprimarily a barrel unit 10, a dehydration unit 20, a motor 30, a controlunit 40, a rechargeable battery 50 and a recharging connection port 60.

The dehydration unit 20 is provided in the barrel unit 10 and includes adehydration basket 21 and a spindle 22 which supports the dehydrationbasket 21. The spindle 22 is installed on an elastic lifting unit 23which includes a lifting table 231 for installation of a bottom end ofthe spindle 22, plural guiding pillars 232 provided on the barrel unit10 for transfixing the lifting table 231 and at least one elasticelement 233 provided between the lifting table 231 and the barrel unit10. The said elastic element 233 can be a spring or other equivalentelement sheathed on the guiding pillar 232 and a lower side of theelastic lifting unit 23 is provided with a starting switch 70 which iselectrically connected to the control unit 40 to activate the motor 30when being triggered. The starting switch 70 disclosed by the presentembodiment is a push button and is provided below the lifting table 231.

Through transmission of plural gears 31, the motor 30 is used to drivethe dehydration unit 20 spinning and an on/off state of the motor 30 iscontrolled by the control unit 40. The rechargeable battery 50 isconnected with the control unit 40 through a lead wire assembly 52having a connector 51, whereas the recharging connection port 60 iselectrically connected to the control unit 40 to access electricity andrecharge the rechargeable battery 50.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, it shows a schematic view prior toactivation and a schematic view of the activation of the firstembodiment of the present invention. Under a normal condition, thelifting table 231 is abutted upward by the elastic elements 233,allowing a proper gap to be maintained between the lifting table 231 andthe starting switch 70. When the dehydration basket 21 is subjected to adownward force in a certain extent to descend the lifting table 231through the spindle 22, until the lifting table 231 touches the startingswitch 70, the motor 30 can operate in a predefined time followingcontrol of the control unit 40 to drive the dehydration basket 21spinning in a high speed to fling off water; for example, the motor 30can operate for 4-6 seconds and then stop. Therefore, an object ofeasily and rapidly dehydrating is achieved.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, it shows a schematic view of electricconnection of structures and a three-dimensional view of a secondembodiment of the present invention. Comparing to the first embodiment,the present embodiment is further provided with at least a safety switch80 which is electrically connected with the control unit 40. This safetyswitch 80 is an ordinary push switch and can be provided on a topsurface or other more invisible location of the barrel unit 10. Under acondition that the safety switch 80 is not activated, even when thestarting switch 70 is triggered, the control unit 40 will still notactivate the motor 30, thus preventing a user, a child or a pet fromtouching by a mistake the dehydration basket 21 to spin in a high speed.In implementation, at least one indicator light 90 can be furtherprovided to display a message of an operation state of the motor 30 or apower state of the rechargeable battery 50.

Referring to FIG. 7, it shows a three-dimensional view of a thirdembodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, thesafety switch 80 is provided in the recharging connection port 60, forexample, in an edge inside the recharging connection port 60 as a springleaf. In addition, a periphery of the recharging connection port 60 isprovided with a plug cap 81 which turns on the safety switch 80 when theplug cap 81 is inserted into the recharging connection port 60. Thisplug cap 81 is also provided with an effect of preventing the rechargingconnection port 60 from being splashed by water and when the rechargingconnection port 60 is inserted with a recharging power, the safetyswitch 80 is also turned on. Besides, the dehydration unit 20 of thepresent embodiment is further provided with a dehydration plate 24 whichcan be latched on a top of the dehydration basket 21. When thedehydration plate 24 is latched on the top of the dehydration basket 21,a rag or other wetted small object can be put into the dehydrationbasket 21 for dehydration and the small objects can be prevented fromescaping from the dehydration basket 21.

Referring to FIG. 8, it shows a local cutaway view of a fourthembodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, thespindle 22 is made by a magnetic metal and a top end of the spindle 22is exposed in the dehydration basket 21. The safety switch 80 is amagnetic induction switch and is provided at a periphery of a bottom endof the spindle 22. A bottom end of a mop 100 is provided with a magnet82 which is attached to the top end of the spindle 22 and enables abottom end of the spindle 22 to produce a magnetic attraction force,after the mop 100 has been put into the dehydration basket 21; whereas,the safety switch 80 is turned on upon inducing the magnetic attractionforce. The safety switch 80 in the drawing is turned on and the startingswitch 70 is touched. On the contrary, if the safety switch 80 does notinduce the magnetic attraction force, even when the dehydration basket21 is subjected to a downward force in a certain extent to touch thestarting switch 70, the control unit 40 will still not activate themotor 30, thereby being equipped with a function of preventing fromtouch by a mistake.

Referring to FIG. 9, it shows a local cutaway view of a fifth embodimentof the present invention. In the present embodiment, the safety switch80 is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader which is embeddedin the barrel unit 10 and is close to the dehydration basket 21. Thebottom end of the said mop 100 is provided with an RFID tag 83 whichenters into an effective induction range of the safety switch 80 whenthe mop 100 is put into the dehydration basket 21 and the safety switch80 is turned on when the effective RFID tag 83 is induced. The safetyswitch 80 in the drawing is turned on and the starting switch 70 istouched. On the contrary, if the safety switch 80 does not induce theeffective RFID tag 83, even when the dehydration basket 21 is subjectedto a downward force in a certain extent to touch the starting switch 70,the control unit 40 will still not activate the motor 30, therebydeveloping a function of preventing from touch by a mistake.

Referring to FIG. 10, it shows a local cutaway view of a sixthembodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, thestarting switch 70 is an inductor which can produce non-contactinduction when the elastic lifting unit 23 is descended; for example, ifthe elastic lifting unit 23 is magnetic, then the starting switch 70 canbe an inductor which is turned on and off through induction of amagnetic force.

It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described hereinis merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that awide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the following claims.

1. A stepping-free electric dehydration barrel comprising at least abarrel unit, a dehydration unit which is provided in the barrel unit todehydrate a mop, a motor which drives the dehydration unit spinning, acontrol unit which activates and deactivates the motor, a rechargeablebattery which supplies electricity to the control unit and a rechargingconnection port which is electrically connected to the control unit,wherein the dehydration unit includes a dehydration basket and a spindlewhich supports the dehydration basket, with the spindle being installedon an elastic lifting unit and an interior of the barrel unit beingprovided with a starting switch which is located at a periphery of theelastic lifting unit and is electrically connected to the control unitto activate the motor when the elastic lifting unit is descended.
 2. Thestepping-free electric dehydration barrel according to claim 1, furthercomprising at least one safety switch which is electrically connected tothe control unit.
 3. The stepping-free electric dehydration barrelaccording to claim 2, wherein the safety switch is provided in therecharging connection port and a periphery of the recharging connectionport is provided with a plug cap, with the safety switch being turned onwhen the plug cap is inserted into the recharging connection port. 4.The stepping-free electric dehydration barrel according to claim 2,wherein the spindle is made by a magnetic metal, a top end of thespindle is exposed in the dehydration basket, the safety switch is amagnetic induction switch and is provided at a periphery of a bottom endof the spindle and a bottom end of the mop is provided with a magnetwhich is attached to a top end of the spindle and enables the bottom endof the spindle to produce a magnetic attraction force, after the mop hasbeen put into the dehydration basket.
 5. The stepping-free electricdehydration barrel according to claim 2, wherein the safety switch is anRFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader which is embedded in thebarrel unit and is close to the dehydration basket, whereas the bottomend of the mop is provided with an RFID tag which enters into aneffective induction range of the safety switch, after the mop has beenput into the dehydration basket.
 6. The stepping-free electricdehydration barrel according to claim 1, wherein a lead wire assemblyhaving a connector is provided between the rechargeable battery and thecontrol unit.
 7. The stepping-free electric dehydration barrel accordingto claim 1, wherein the dehydration unit includes a dehydration platewhich is latched at a top of the dehydration basket.
 8. Thestepping-free electric dehydration barrel according to claim 1, whereinthe starting switch is a push button which produces a push reaction whenthe elastic lifting unit is descended.
 9. The stepping-free electricdehydration barrel according to claim 1, wherein the starting switch isan inductor which produces non-contact induction when the elasticlifting unit is descended.